


Raven's Wings

by SKayLanphear



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action, Akumatized Ladybug, Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Angst, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 23:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16796584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKayLanphear/pseuds/SKayLanphear
Summary: First Lila comes back, then Marinette gets called to the office. Oh, and then there’s the issue of her feelings for Adrien. Marinette is having about the worst, unluckiest day of her life. Turns out, it might just be too much for her to deal with.In which Marinette is finally akumatized and all of Paris–her friends included–may have to pay the price.





	1. Part 1

Marinette knew she needed to remain calm. Just because she knew the truth about Lila didn't mean that everyone else did. As far as they knew, Lila was a kind, generous person, not a conniving liar intent on fooling Adrien into dating her.

Just the thought had Marinette bubbling with rage. But instead of giving in, she simply slammed her food tray down upon the counter. Alya, who stood next to her, glanced up in surprise, but Marinette didn't meet her imploring gaze. Instead, she simply scooted along in line, hardly noticing when food was dropped down onto her tray.

"You're not mad Nino took your seat, are you?" Alya eventually asked, before appearing appropriately sheepish. "He was really bummed about moving to the back, and I didn't think you'd mind…"

"I don't care about that," Marinette admitted quietly. "Though it would have been nice if someone had asked." True, she would have given up her seat if Nino had asked—not like they talked much during class anyway—but being sent to the back without any other choice had been pretty disheartening.

"Oh…" Alya shuffled awkwardly. "Everyone assumed you'd be okay with it…"

Marinette grit her teeth, but didn't say anything further on the subject. Alya was right, after all, but she wasn't sure what to think of the assumption. Was she that much of a pushover? Or did everyone simply think she was that nice?

Yet, clearly they didn't, based on the glares she'd gotten.

"What are you so peeved about then?" Alya dared to ask as they left the lunch line and headed for a table near the back corner.

Marinette frowned, yet again attempting to push the bad feelings to the back of her thoughts. "I'm not peeved," she muttered. "Just… disappointed."

Alya grinned as they sat down. "Because Lila was all over Adrien?"

"Yeah…" That, and the fact that no one would believe her about Lila being the worst. It almost seemed akin to the outrage she felt at Chloe most of the time, except that no one but her realized just how horrible Lila was. Which was infuriating, because she couldn't say anything to contradict the notion. Not without giving away her identity as Ladybug.

"He didn't seem too interested anyway," Alya assured with a wink, which did some good in raising Marinette's spirits.

Nino abruptly sat down at their table, his tray nearly losing its contents as he dropped it into place. "Hey, Marinette," he said, smiling. "Thanks for letting me have your seat. I was really bummed at having to sit in the back all alone. _Again_."

He appeared so grateful that all Marinette could do was smile.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so excited Lila is finally back," Rose said as she sat down with them as well. She was simply glowing. "She has such an exciting life; and she's so nice. I can't believe the danger she put herself in to save Jagged Stone's kitten."

Marinette couldn't hold in her scoff.

"What?" Alya asked.

"You actually believe that?" Marinette dared to ask. "Jagged Stone never had a cat."

"You don't know that," Alya objected, frowning. "He might have. Stranger things have happened."

"Or Lila's lying," she reasoned, stabbing a blob of jello as she did.

"Why would she lie?" Rose asked innocently.

"She didn't," Alya replied, rolling her eyes as she did. "Marinette's just jealous because Lila is clearly into Adrien."

"Or it's because Lila lies about everything," she said shortly.

"You've had it out for Lila since she started here," Alya replied as Alix and Juleka joined them lastly. "It all comes back to Adrien."

Marinette knew she was teasing, but it felt more hurtful in those moments than anything else. She wasn't used to people… doubting her. Yet any sense of truth was once again strangled by the fact that she couldn't reveal the sources of her bias.

"As usual," Alix added, laughing a bit as she did. "Do you think about anything except Adrien?"

"Of course!" Marinette snapped. They had no idea how much she didn't think about Adrien on a daily basis. She literally didn't have the time to be thinking about him constantly, not with all the responsibilities she had.

"Like what?" Alix pressed, while I few of the others chuckled.

"Like the fact that Jagged Stone doesn't have a cat," Marinette rebuked rather hotly, before once again tempering her emotions.

"Again, you don't know that," Alya sing-songed.

"I'd know better than you guys," Marinette replied shortly, which silenced the table rather quickly. Probably because they were all aware that she knew Jagged Stone personally, though she'd never once brought it up as a means of bragging or any other such thing. Yet, despite the awkwardness her comment had caused, she didn't apologize. It was the truth, wasn't it? Yet they were all so content to believe everything Lila said.

No, she needed to stay calm. Deep breaths.

"You seem like you're in a bad mood, Marinette," Rose observed a second later. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You seriously need to get over it," Alix interjected then. "You're the one that failed to make a move, so you can't blame someone else for being interested in Adrien. I mean, you kissed him at the picnic, but everyone knows he's about as oblivious as they come."

Alya and Nino shared a look, but Marinette chose to ignore it.

"It's not about Adrien," Marinette persisted. "I just don't think he should be hanging around with someone who lies as much as she does."

Alya sighed. "Marinette, where are you getting these ideas that she lies? She hasn't lied to any of us, as far as we know."

"Yeah. And who are you to be judging who Adrien hangs out with anyway?" Alix dared to ask. "You're the one that semi-stalks him instead of, oh I don't know, talking to him?"

"I don't stalk him…"

"You know everything about him down to his daily schedule," Alix pointed out. "It's weird."

Rose sighed. "I think it's romantic."

"It's not," Alix said firmly. "My brother once had a girl like that who liked him. She used to follow him around, and drop gifts off at the museum, and one time, she even showed up in his bedroom after work. He had to report her to the police."

"What are you suggesting?" Marinette asked defensively.

Alix simply shrugged.

"Do you guys think I stalk Adrien?" she dared to ask, feeling cold as the notion sank down her spine.

"I think you're just… thorough," Alya replied. "You wouldn't hurt a fly."

"But you think I stalk him."

"I never said that."

Frowning, Marinette stabbed her jello again. She didn't stalk Adrien, did she? Sure, she wanted to know all there was to know about him, but she didn't consider that stalking. She didn't sneak into his room, or follow him around (most of the time). And she only knew his schedule because it wasn't that hard to figure out in the first place. She wasn't a stalker, she just… really liked him. Right?

"I know you wouldn't do anything stupid, Marinette. Don't worry about it," Alya reiterated.

"So you think I'm harmless, but a stalker," Marinette solidified.

"I _never said that_ ," Alya said through gritted teeth. "You're just… excitable."

"Excitable… And what does that mean?"

Alya huffed. "C'mon, Marinette, even you know you go overboard sometimes."

Marinette reared back, uncertain what to make of the words that smacked her so thoroughly across the face. "Excuse me?"

"Like when you entered that gaming competition so you could hang out with Adrien?" Alya reminded.

"Or that time you tried to steal the camera man's memory card?" Alix pointed out.

"I was trying to help Juleka!"

Alya held up a single finger. "Or the time you stole Adrien's phone?"

Marinette pouted.

"Or the time you asked Luka on a date just so you could be with Adrien…" Juleka said quietly.

"That's not why I invited him," Marinette defended.

"That's not how it seemed…"

"You're just a little intense, Marinette, that's all," Rose tried to pacify. "That's not a bad thing."

Well it sure felt like a bad thing. "Do you all think this badly of me?" she asked quietly. And here she'd been under the impression that everyone thought she was a nice person who did her best as representative and as a friend.

"We don't think badly of you, Marinette," Alya corrected with a sympathetic frown. "You are just… really intense about some things. And it's good… usually."

But not always. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore," she decided, before getting up. Alya tried to call to her, as did Rose, but she didn't turn back. Instead, she dumped her uneaten food in the trash before heading out of the cafeteria. She had half a mind to go home, claiming she wasn't feeling well. Because, honestly, she wasn't. But instead, she found a bench in the hallway before taking a seat.

This day just kept getting worse and worse. She knew she was… "intense" about some things, but she considered that passion more of a good thing than bad. She was passionate about her work, her friends, her classmates. She was passionate about the safety of Paris. She'd never considered that maybe other people thought it was sometimes a bad thing. True, she'd messed some things up, like when she'd tried to help Nathaniel and Marc, or when she'd been mean to Andre, or when she'd overdone it with Lila. But she always tried to make things right when she screwed up.

But maybe… it wasn't enough?

"Ah, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, just who I was looking for." It was Principle Damocles who approached her, his expression staunch and his hands clasped behind his back. "Not ever where you're supposed to be, I see. I need to see you in my office, posthaste."

"Um, okay…" Uncertain, Marinette stood and followed him down the hall. He held the door to his office open for her, before gesturing that she take a seat before his desk. He sat down across from her a moment later, before releasing a light sigh and staring at her as though she was some kind of problem in need of solving.

"We're here to talk about your absences, Ms. Dupain-Cheng," he explained shortly. The topic of conversation only demoralized Marinette more than she already was. "As well as your grades. Mostly because you're a unique case." He drummed his fingers on the desk. "Your absences don't seem to make much sense, as you disappear at the most random times during the day, regularly show up late, and fail to see much of an issue with this behavior."

"I'm sorry…" she muttered lamely.

"Yet your behavior has not changed since the last time your parents were involved in the situation," he went on. "It's also disconcerting because your grades seem to be slipping."

Which was true. Hawkmoth was more active than ever and she was having trouble keeping up with everything. Half the time she told her parents she was doing homework, she was either purifying an akuma or out on patrol with Chat. And because of their late nights, she rarely woke up on time.

Sometimes she wondered if Chat had the same problems. He must, she figured.

"I'm not trying to be hard on you," he said, sounding quite severe despite his claim, "but if you don't start rectifying this behavior, we may be forced to hold you back a year."

Her eyes went wide. "What?"

"If you can't show up for class or keep up your grades, you might have to repeat the year. Which would be unheard of for a class president. But your transcript is in sad shape, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. My suggestion? You worry a little less about everyone else and little more about yourself, hm?"

Yeah, easy for him to say! "Right," she agreed, trying not to get too choked up. Deep breaths. She could handle this. Everything would be fine. "I'll do better, I promise."

"I should certainly hope so," he finished, before dismissing her.

Feeling quite as though she was numb from the neck down, Marinette marched from the office. She paused once she was outside the door, taking a moment to close her eyes and swallow back her negative emotions. After all, Principle Damocles was right—she was absent a lot and she hadn't been turning in homework as regularly as she should have been. Or at all, really. Ms. Bustier had talked to her about it numerous times as well. It seemed she'd slipped so far that now the principal was bugging her about it too.

But she was Ladybug and Ladybug could do anything. She could turn this around—she needed only to try a little harder.

Everything would be fine. This just… wasn't her lucky day.

"Oh, there you are," Alya said as Marinette made her way down the stairs and into the courtyard. "I was looking for you. I was worried." She was frowning. "Did you just leave Principle Damocles office?"

"Yeah…" Marinette said, her tone empty. "He said… He said that I might have to be held back a year." Saying it out loud only made it that much harder to believe. Like she'd woken up in the twilight zone this morning.

"What?!"

"I'm absent too often," she admitted. "And my grades… aren't the best." In fact, they quite dismal, really.

"Well, you can still turn it around," Alya reasoned. "You just… need to be more organized. You are kind of scattered a lot of the time."

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed, if only because she felt she had to. Yet she never met Alya's gaze, instead keeping her attention on her shoes.

"We can do it together," Alya went on. "You know, make up a schedule for yourself like the one you have for Adrien." Reaching out, Alya laid a hand on her shoulder, which finally did jolt Marinette into looking up. And while Alya's smile was somewhat comforting, it wasn't enough to wash away the negatives of the day.

Yet she couldn't let it get to her—she had to stay positive.

"Sure, that sounds good," she replied, trying not to sound too hollow. "That'll help."

"But, girl," Alya went on. "If we do it, you have to actually show up to where you're supposed to be. If you can do that, half your problems will be solved."

"You're right."

"Marinette…" Alya's hold on her shoulder tightened. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." She offered her best friend a small smile. "I'm fine. It's just been a weird day."

"Right…" Alya's hand fell away. "You know that stuff we were saying in the cafeteria doesn't… We don't think badly of you."

"I know," she lied. "I'm not worried about it."

"Okay…"

"There you are!" It was Nino who called out, the two girls turning to see him and Adrien headed toward them from across the courtyard. Adrien must have just returned from lunch at his own house. He never ate in the cafeteria. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to," Nino continued before slipping a hand around Alya's shoulders.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" Adrien asked a second later. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," she assured, forcing another smile as she did. "Just have a bit of a stomach ache is all."

"You should go home if you're not feeling well." The sound of Lila's voice coming up on Adrien's other side nearly sent her temper to boiling. "If you're contagious, it'd be a pity to infect the whole school." She said as much as she wrapped herself around Adrien's arm.

Marinette had to look away, settling for saying nothing at all lest she say something no one else would agree with.

"Hi, Lila," Adrien said, leaning a bit away from her as he did.

"Did you enjoy your lunch?" she asked. "I'd hoped to sit with you, but I guess someone like you probably wants to go home to eat with your family. You're so busy!"

"Uh, yeah, that's it," he agreed, while Lila clamped herself around him more firmly.

"I'm so glad to be back here—I missed you all so much. But I guess even if I finally get to hang out with everyone else, you'll be too busy to be around much, huh. I'd really hoped we could become close… friends."

Marinette wanted to be sick.

"Ah, sure," Adrien agreed with a laugh.

"Maybe we could organize a time to hang out, just the two of us?"

Adrien attempted to pry himself free. "I don't see why not."

"Great!" Lila beamed, all the while holding onto Adrien even tighter.

Across from him, Nino cleared his throat. "Dude."

And though Marinette didn't want to acknowledge it, she could sense the tension abruptly rising between the group. Lila may have remained oblivious to it, but the other four couldn't claim the same. Rather, Nino was holding his breath and Adrien appeared abruptly panicked, while all Alya could do was grit her teeth and wait for the worst.

But, truth be told, there were no secrets between them that Marinette didn't already know. She'd made her feelings for Adrien pretty clear at the picnic, yet nothing had come of it. Her classmates claimed he was oblivious, but even the most clueless boy couldn't get by what her intentions had been.

He'd just said nothing so as to be kind—to spare her feelings.

It'd been easier, buying into her classmates' reasons—that he simply didn't get it. But deep down, she's known the truth. And apparently Nino and Alya knew as well.

That Adrien did not, in fact, return her feelings.

It was nice that they were trying to be sensitive to her feelings, she supposed. But even if Nino reminded Adrien of her plight, it didn't change the reality. Really, she'd been preparing for this outcome for a while. She'd accepted that maybe she and Adrien were only meant to be friends some time ago, even if she'd continued to fawn over him. Which had likely been her mistake. Be it that she'd realistically told herself it wasn't meant to be, she'd still held out hope. A secret hope that was cracking in those moments of honest clarity.

It hurt. A lot. And though she tried to hold them back, the tears welled behind her eyes nonetheless. Doing her best to hide, she turned away. But she could feel their sympathetic looks, and hear Adrien's intake of breath before he spoke. Which only seemed to give the tears that much more power over her.

"Marinette…" Adrien murmured softly, while finally managing to shrug Lila off his arm. "Look, I…"

She knew what he was going to say, but that didn't make it any less painful to hear.

"I think you should move!" he said suddenly, before grabbing her by the arm and yanking her back behind him. Marinette was so startled by the whole thing that she nearly tripped over her own feet, only managing to keep her balance because Alya quickly reached out to steady her.

"It's an akuma!" Nino announced, which spooked all the other students standing around in the courtyard. Whipping around, Marinette watched as Adrien waved his hands at the black butterfly, as if to ward it off.

"Don't touch it!" Marinette shouted, before reaching out to grab Adrien by the back of his shirt. He stumbled back, but in her attempts to stop him from doing something stupid, Marinette put herself back in the line of fire.

She wasn't fast enough, even as she backed up. The little black butterfly flitted down around her head. All she had on her was her bag, which housed Tikki. As a result, there was very little the akuma had to possess. Which might have been good if she were anyone else. As it was, she was Ladybug, which meant the ornaments on her ears were more than target enough.

She felt it was soon as the akuma sank into her earring, her whole body going cold. It was like a chilled hand had reached into her head and tied puppet strings to every part of her, as if preparing her for a show.

" _What a bad day you've been having_ ," a deep voice said, interrupting her thoughts. " _First your friends turn against you, then you're reprimanded, and, finally, a broken heart. Luck doesn't seem to be on your side._ "

Gritting her teeth, Marinette balled her hands into fists at her sides.

"You can't control me," she muttered out loud. Yet even as she did, she could feel all the emotions she'd been pushing back beginning to leak forth. Like a dam beginning to crack, the water was slipping through. It wanted to overwhelm her, but she had to fight back.

If she didn't, Paris would be doomed.

" _Control you?_ " he replied. " _I don't want to control you. I simply want to give you the power to prove your worth. Everyone runs a little low on luck now and then. It's not fair that you should be the only one to suffer so_."

"I don't want your power!" she snapped back, closing her eyes before reaching up and gripping at the sides of her head, if only because the longer the akuma remained attached to her, the more bloated everything inside her head began to feel.

"Fight him, Marinette!" Alya called.

"Don't let him take advantage of you!" Nino added.

" _I'm only trying to help_ ," Hawkmoth reasoned calmly.

"Everyone is allowed to feel bad now and then," Marinette replied as the inflated emotions began to cause a stinging ache in her temples. "That doesn't mean you have the right to take advantage of them!"

" _I'm not taking advantage_ ," he replied. " _Rather, I'm just trying to give you the advantage._ "

"No!" she screamed, shaking her head as she did.

"Don't let him get to you, Marinette!" Adrien said then, the sound of his voice causing her heart to ache terribly.

" _You can't fight it, Marinette_ ," he said. " _I can sense your anger, your frustration_."

"Stop it!"

" _Your heartbreak._ "

"Get out of my head!"

" _Just give in_ ," he continued. " _You'll feel better, once everyone understands exactly how today has made you feel._ "

She was growing weaker. His negativity was spreading through her whole body like an infection. It crawled under her skin and trickled across her bones, like there were bugs living inside her body, biting and struggling to get free. But she couldn't let that happen. Even as she stumbled to the side, straining on trembling legs, she had to fight him.

" _You do so much for everyone else_ ," he continued. " _And how are you repaid? By having the few mistakes you've made thrown in your face? By being told you should think more of yourself? By being rejected?_ "

"Please, stop!" she cried, leaning up against the wall as she did. For a moment, the structure kept her grounded, but it lasted only a moment before she was once again overcome. Her stomach rolled, her skin became patchy with sweat. As if she were making herself physically ill by refusing to give in.

" _No one appreciates you. No one supports you. No one loves you._ "

"You're wrong!" she screamed, while the blackness began to seep into her thoughts. Desperate to get away, she swung herself into the wall, banging her head harshly against the brick. "Get out, get out, _get out_!"

" _You're only hurting yourself more. I want to help you_."

"Get out of my head!" Once again, she banged her head into the wall. A carnal response, an attempt to escape, if only because that pain wasn't nearly as horrible as the negativity he was trying to inflate inside her. So dark and so penetrating—like her whole body was about to burst at the seams.

" _Everything you do has been for nothing,_ " he went on. " _All your efforts and a single day undoes it all. What fairness is there in that? Should others not suffer the same fate?_ "

" _Please_ ," she begged, sliding down the wall as she did. It was becoming cloudy. All her energy was being zapped away. Maybe if it'd been a different day, maybe if she hadn't had so many blows to her ego as she had that day, she'd be able to force him out. But though she could push them away, she couldn't erase the negative emotions inside her. They were part of who she was, which meant that he had the perfect prey into which to sink his talons.

She could have fought him if she wasn't so overcome. If it'd been any day but this one.

She could feel herself losing.

" _Just give in,_ " he whispered, as if he spoke directly into her ear. " _Let me take care of you_."

"No…" she murmured brokenly, the last word she managed to get out before the water drowned her. It was overflowing, having risen above the lip of the tub to flow over like an uncontrollable wave. Her shields crumbled beneath its weight, until all she could feel was the betrayal, the frustration, and the heartbreak. Which made her angry, because she didn't want to feel this way. But if she had to, then maybe everyone else should too.

Misery loved company, after all.

" _Lady_ _Raven Wing_ ," he said to her. " _I give you the power to bring bad luck to all of Paris, so they'll know the same misery you do. It only takes the smallest inconvenience to turn a day to its worst, and only one piece of the puzzle to go missing to cause disaster_.

"Yes," Marinette found herself saying, before finding the strength anew to get to her feet.

" _You just have to do one small favor for me in return_ ," he continued. " _Bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses._ "

Smirking, Marinette decided she'd agree—for now.

She'd keep it to herself for the time being, that Hawkmoth's luck was about to run out alongside everyone else's.

With Chat Noir's ring, she'd have _all_ the power. Which meant that bad luck wouldn't even be a variable, because she'd never have a bad day ever again.


	2. Part 2

Adrien had never seen someone fight an akuma before. Sure, he's seen people run, he'd seen people cower. He'd even heard from Marinette herself that Ms. Bustier had attempted to reject Hawkmoth's influence. But never had he seen someone conversing with his nemesis, refusing to the point of self-inflicted violence to give in. It was painful to watch, the way Marinette pulled at her own hair and how she threw herself bodily into the wall. Adrien could practically hear her bones cracking as she did so, and her yelling only made it all the more terrifying.

He almost wanted her to give in by the end of it. Give in and let Ladybug and Chat Noir save her. It was commendable, that she was fighting back, but he hated seeing it. Not because he didn't want people to fight back, but because of the sheer agony doing so was causing. He hated Hawkmoth more vehemently in those moments than he ever had, if only because it'd become acutely apparent just how invasive his presence was to those he possessed. He wasn't simply transforming people—he was reaching inside them and twisting up their insides, warping them into something they weren't.

Hands forming fists at his sides, Adrien grit his teeth and watched, seemingly helplessly, as Marinette gracefully rose up from where she'd been curled up against the wall. He could tell by her posture and the tranquility of her expression that despite her attempts to reject him, Hawkmoth had finally come out victorious. Like a puppeteer playing her strings, he took her body and her mind for his own, instilling in Adrien what had become a habitual incentive to do everything he could to tear those strings to shreds.

The other students around him gasped and began backing away in a panic, no doubt wondering what horror Hawkmoth intended to unleash upon them next. But Adrien—as well as Alya—stayed, watching in anger and horror as Marinette's pretty lips pulled into a smirk, before that black cloud slunk upward and enveloped her entire body.

A sight that sent most of the other students running.

It took only moments for it to be cleared away again, revealing to the world Hawkmoth's latest creation.

She was dark, her corners pointed and lethal as she stood straight and confident before them. A charcoal gray suit was adhered tightly to her body, accented around her hips with soft black feathers, while her shoulders were shrouded in a shawl of long, shining black feathers, which stretched down to her elbows. Her boots reached up to her thighs and were lined horizontally all the way down, reminding Adrien of the scaliness of birds' feet. The heels were silver spikes, which mirrored the long, silver claws that protruded harshly from her blackened gloves.

Her mask was black—pointed up at the corners and protruding out over her nose like a harsh, deadly beak. Her hair had been released and pushed back from her face, the natural blue tint fading to stark black as the strands stretched down along her spine.

In her ears were two, simple studs, which faded to black lastly, some moments after the rest of her had transformed.

She didn't say anything initially, her hawk-like blue eyes looking between those who had remained as she stretched her clawed fingers and rolled her feather-covered shoulders. Quite as though she were making herself comfortable within her new form.

"I am Lady Raven Wing," she announced, her tone dark. "And I am here to bring bad luck to all of Paris." A threat that might not have sounded too sinister were it not for the black tinted smirk that tugged at one corner of her lips. As if she knew something all the rest of them didn't.

"Please, Marinette," Alya started, sounding broken. "Don't do this."

Turning to her best friend, Marinette's smirk pulled into a scowl while her eyes glinted with something dangerous. It was enough to have Alya backing up a step in alarm, while Adrien stiffened. He needed to transform, but was wary of leaving his friends behind. Marinette's abilities were yet unknown, after all.

"Don't do what?" Marinette snapped, causing Alya to flinch. "Tell the truth? Expect that my best friend would take my side?" Her eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Marinette, please, I'm sorry," Alya continued. "Just listen—"

"No one will ever listen to you again." Surging forward, Marinette was standing before Alya within the second, Adrien and Nino gasping at how quickly she'd darted forward. Alya did much the same, scrambling back in the same moment. But Marinette had reached out and taken her arm within her talons, squeezing so tight that Alya cried out in pain.

"Marinette!" Adrien yelled harshly, moving to step forward as he did.

"Don't come any closer," Marinette said, never taking her eyes off Alya. "You wouldn't want to press your luck."

Reaching up with her other hand, she delicately ran the tip of one long claw along Alya's cheek. Alya was still pulling back, breathing heavily as Marinette's thumbnail skimmed the front of her throat.

"You don't want to believe your best friend?" Marinette asked quietly, tightening her hold around Alya's arm and scraping the talon of her pointer finger a little more severely over Alya's cheek. "A pity. It'd certainly be unlucky to never find a credible source for anything ever again." Her talon punctured skin, Alya gasping in pain as a thin trickle of blood dripped down her face. "Journalism requires a certain degree of luck all on its own, after all. It wouldn't be unheard of, that even the most dedicated attempt amounts to nothing."

She scratched her talon into Alya's cheek, leave a fresh, red wound that, as she finally released her, blossomed into a graceful curve before the delicate lines of feather vanes etched themselves on either side.

The scratch still bled, even as it grew into a brand across Alya's cheek.

The whole exchange left Marinette's powers rather unexplained, which only unnerved Adrien further. Most akumas were straightforward, yet Marinette's actions continued to leave an uneasy stone dropping down into his gut. He had no way of knowing what she was about to do, let alone what her powers actually were.

He needed to get away.

Beginning to back up, he looked from side to side for any escape that would grant him privacy. But before he could, Marinette flashed into action yet again. Like a twitching bird flitting from one feeder to the next, she'd turned her attention from Alya to the group of cowering students on the other side of the courtyard. They screamed and scattered as they appeared before her, revealing Lila.

Lila, who tried to run as well, but who couldn't escape Marinette's grasp. She was yanked back as Marinette grabbed her by the arm, causing her to lose her balance and topple back onto her rear.

Stepping over her prone form, Marinette crouched down. Lila tried to scurry out from underneath her, but Marinette yet held her in place.

"You know, it's inevitable that people begin to see through your deceit," Marinette murmured. "Liars can't keep up with their own lies after a while. A pity, as you spin such exciting stories. It'd be awfully unlucky if your lies began to catch up with you. Transparency isn't exactly your strong suit." Reaching out, Marinette quickly etched a cut across Lila's forehead, sheering her bangs in the process. She yelped, reaching up to cover the blossoming feather as Marinette rose and stepped away.

"How dare you!" Lila howled, struggling to her feet as she did. "I've never told a—" She was seemingly incapable of finishing her sentence, her voice dwindling to nothing as she reached up and frantically grabbed at her own throat.

"Cat got your tongue?" Marinette asked. "How unlucky."

Still no sound came from Lila's mouth, even as she sank to the ground again and helplessly held her own throat.

Adrien continued to step backward. Slowly, trying not to draw attention to himself. But it didn't work. She was a bird of prey, attracted to any movement. She twitched her head in his direction as soon as she'd turned fully from Lila, causing Adrien to freeze. He didn't know whether to stay still or run, his flight or fight instincts battling for dominance. It was the only moment Marinette needed, his hesitation giving her the time to appear abruptly before him.

Shuffling back, he tried to put some distance between them, but she quickly closed it. They were chest to chest, toe to toe, one of Marinette's arms clamped down around his back and holding him in place against her. He stood ramrod-straight as a result, having no idea what she intended to do as she gently laid her other hand upon his cheek.

Her expression was almost sad. Distant perhaps, the tips of her talons gentle as she slowly dragged them down his cheek and along his jaw. The pad of her thumb caressed his chin, before her touch continued downward. Her eyes travelled lower as well, until she was gently caressing the side of his neck. Her attention, it seemed, had narrowed in on his throat, which she watched as he swallowed nervously.

He was certain she could see the way his heart hammered, his pulse visible beneath the skin of his throat.

"I have had no luck in this love," she admitted quietly, the tip of her talon sinking painfully into the side of his neck—slowly, as though she were purposefully inching a needle beneath his skin. "It's only fair that you suffer as I have. May you be unlucky in love as well." With a quick swipe, she left a bloody cut down the side of his neck, causing him to cry out as he felt it bloom into a feather. She stepped back a moment later, Adrien reaching up to cup the bleeding wound with his hand.

She watched him for some moments, yet again appearing sad, before turning and walking to the center of the courtyard. There, she turned to look up at the blue sky of midday, standing as still as the clouds as she stared. Adrien watched, not seeing her blink even once before she suddenly kicked herself up into the air. Like a bird taking flight, she was only a blur before she had vanished completely, shocked silence spilling over the student body as soon as she was gone.

She'd done damage, but it hardly seemed as damaging as most akumas. Which only unnerved Adrien further.

Pulling his hand from his wound, Adrien stared down at his blood-coated fingers, breathing heavily with remaining nerves.

Across the way, Lila was still on the ground, unable to speak, while Alya was cupping her own cheek in much the same way Adrien had his neck. It was unclear what affect Marinette's abilities would have on them, which only made the situation all the worse.

Still, Adrien knew that if he and Ladybug could purify her akuma, any and all of the damage done would be rectified. Chat Noir was bad luck incarnate, after all. What damage could a curse upon his love life really do anyway? He was already unlucky in love.

How much worse could it get?

Replacing his hand on his neck, Adrien announced that he was going to get help before he turned and rushed through the nearest door. It led into a nearby classroom, which was filled to the brim with students that had previously fled. They cowered behind desks, ducking down with fear as he entered.

"She's gone," he announced. "We should all get out of here, get a head count. Contact the police maybe." He held the door open as invitation. "Let's go!"

Happy to do as told and visibly relieved that Marinette was gone (for now, at least), they all got to their feet before slowly filing out into the courtyard, as much of the rest of the student body was doing. As soon as Adrien was certain they'd all left, he quietly closed the door behind them and pulled open his button-down.

"C'mon, Plagg," he said as the tiny kwami twirled up into the air. "We've got work to do."

"Uh, about that." Plagg appeared nervous, looking around the room and sliding his tiny paws together. "I think we might have a bit of a problem."

"Yeah, I know," Adrien said quickly. "Marinette's been akumatized. And, well… I think it's partially my fault." Maybe if he'd just been open and honest with her from the start, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have been the straw to break the camel's back.

"No, that's not it," Plagg replied. "It's Marinette."

"I know, I just said she's been akumatized. We have to save her."

"You don't under—"

"There's no time, Plagg," Adrien said simply. "We've got to meet Ladybug and tell her everything we know about what's going on!"

"Adrien, wai—"

"Plagg, transform me!"

With a quick zap, Plagg was siphoned into his ring and his black suit was in place. Ignoring the pulsing cut beneath his collar, he turned toward an open window on the far side of the room before pulling up his staff and vaulting out into the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 is done too. There'll be more info about it on my tumblr and twitter, both of which are SKayLanphear :D

**Author's Note:**

> Still working on her akuma design (with i-wadako). Also, I'm posting stuff--including Serenditous Fate (Chapter 23 is already available) somewhere else, so check out my Tumblr or my Twitter for more information. Both are under the name SKayLanphear. 
> 
> Hope you guys are excited for this fic. And y'all thought My Last Thoughts was bad ;D


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